Math, Madison, food, the Orioles, books, my kids.

Kou Shui Ji at ZenZen Taste

New, very good Chinese place out by West Towne: ZenZen Taste, featuring what Steph Tai calls “contemporary Chinese” food, neither traditional nor Americanized.

I have had Szechuan peppercorn before but never so much Szechuan peppercorn as in their kou shui ji (literally “saliva chicken,” here rendered “mouth-watering chicken.”) It is hard to describe in words what this actually does to your mouth. To an extent you feel you have chewed a lemon. At the same time your lips buzz as if you’ve eaten something spicy-hot and salty. When you drink water, the water tastes sour and fizzy. How much kou shui ji did I eat? I ate two bites of kou shui ji. I was defeated by the kou shui ji.